It reminds me of the talk they give on airplanes before takeoff. In case of emergency, put your oxygen mask on first before you assist others.

People who are working to enact change in their communities, state, nation and world often do so tirelessly. They rarely rest and devote themselves to a cause. But that’s a recipe for burnout. I’m glad Huggins chose to tell the young woman that self-care is so important if you hope to care for others.

Huggins said that she meditates daily, something she picked up in prison nearly 50 years ago. In prison, the meditation kept her from losing her mind. She has the calm and thoughtful demeanor one would expect from someone who meditates regularly. In her talk, she often referenced love, how it’s love that has the power to transform the world.

The doctor comes back into the room, holding a couple of foot boots. I’ve seen people wearing those boots. I haven’t envied them.

He’s a resident doctor, young and chipper and smiley. “You want to see your X-rays?”

“Sure.” I grimace. “Did I break my toe?”

Without skipping a beat, he says, “Oh yeah!” and chuckles.

That’s what I thought.

All day I’ve been thinking, do I tell people how I broke my big toe? I mean, my whole goal is to get people to try yoga. Yoga is supposed to be healing. Breaking a bone while DOING yoga is the opposite of that!

But hey, even the things we love to do aren’t always sunshine and unicorns.

I was up in headstand this morning. My headstands have been strong and steady. For many weeks, I haven’t even put my mat near a wall. I’ve been going up rather easily and if I ever feel off-balance, it’s only for a split second.

Today I went up, held it for eight breaths, came down into half-pike for a couple of breaths, and then went back up. Maybe I went up too fast. Maybe my mind wandered. As soon as I went up for the second round of breaths, that’s when I went straight over.

This was actually the first time I’ve fallen in headstand. I’ve feared this day. My first thought was, “My neck! Gotta protect my neck!” Honestly, I was surprised at how easily my body rolled over, how instinctually I took care of my neck and shoulders.

But my toe…

It smacked right into the wall. I’ve been practicing in a small space in our very cluttered basement, only because it’s warm and in the depths of a Minnesota winter my yoga room/porch is out of the question. I feel a little “off” in that basement space anyway, but until today I’d been making it work.

The next 4-6 weeks will be about adjustment. I will not be able to do a traditional Ashtanga practice. I will only be able to do asanas that allow for a flat foot. No down dogs, no jumping forward (and I was just starting to get the hang of that!). But there are a lot of asanas in the sequence that I will be able to do, so I will have to map that out.

I won’t be able to run or walk on the treadmill. But I should still be able to bike or do the elliptical. I was given the option of wearing the boot or wearing shoes with a sturdy sole, so at least I can still wear my normal shoes and tennis shoes.

This is a setback, but it could be so much worse. I could have hurt my neck. I could have cracked my ankle. I could be training for a running event and have to cancel it. I will miss not be able to snowshoe or go for a nice snowy run or walk at my favorite park, especially now when we have tons of snow.

What kind of setbacks have you encountered? How did you work through the setback?

I heard this all today, in a matter of a few seconds in conversation with a few other women. We should be mindful of the stories we tell ourselves, whether they have to do with yoga or anything else.

Is it that you can’t do yoga, or you won’t? Sometimes we know ourselves well and we know what we will or won’t enjoy. Maybe you’ve tried yoga and thought it’s not your thing. But can you drill deeper? Was it a particular class, style of yoga, or teacher that didn’t work for you? Was it your mindset that day? Was something else going on in your life that made it a poor experience? Are you willing to give it another shot?

The conversation also made me sad because I could see how hurtful women can be toward themselves and how they fear others will perceive them.

A yoga studio is a welcoming place for everyone. There’s no audition process to get in, no proof needed that you can touch your toes. There are no women on mats lined up against a wall holding cards numbered 1-10 like in the Olympics, ready to judge you. It’s just you and your mat. You come to yoga to work on yourself. Come to my class, or any class, as uncoordinated as you are, and with regular work you’ll get more coordinated, if that’s your goal. Maybe you have a different goal. Maybe you have no goal at all. It doesn’t matter. Just show up to your mat.

Ladies, be kind to yourselves. The world needs a lot of love and healing right now but it starts with loving yourself.

That’s definitely a grimace on my face around Mile 22 during the marathon last October.

I’m a little more than three months into my experiment of not running regularly. After the marathon in October, I wanted some time away from a strict running schedule.

This is a first for me.

Even when I wasn’t training for a running event, my mindset always was, I should really get out there and run. I saw running as the most efficient workout — even 15 or 20 minutes was enough to get my heart pumping, clear my head and receive a boost in metabolism.

My goal post-marathon was to get away from running but move at least 30 minutes most days of the week. This has included a treadmill or outdoor run, as well as equipment at the gym — the elliptical, the HIITmill, and the stationary bike. If I’m at the gym I also add 10-15 minutes of strength/core work with weights and machines.

I’m enjoying the variety and not being tied to running. As a result, I’m working out more frequently. I usually can fit in 30 minutes five or six days a week. When I was training, I generally only ran four days a week. I feel like 30 minutes a day is pretty low-commitment. When I’m training for a run, I can only get in three miles in 30 minutes so my workouts usually had to be much longer than that, which became a stress when trying to find the time amid everything else.

On top of this, I have my near-daily yoga practice. So with the combination of everything, I’m feeling strong and healthy. The experiment is going well so far!

Have you changed up your routine? Is there something you thought you’d always have to do and were reluctant to give it up?

Drink 8 glasses of water a day. No, 12. No, make that 16, or 24. Do it, and don’t fail or else!

This time of year we’re given a lot of rules, especially if our goal is to eat better or get more exercise or just try to embrace a healthier lifestyle.

I think rules work for some people. They want a clear set of guidelines and succeed when they can check off boxes. But others chafe when given a set of rules. That would be me.

If someone says I can’t do something, or can’t eat a certain type of food, or need to give up caffeine, I instantly want to do the exact opposite.

So my goal is to find a plan and adapt it to my lifestyle and schedule at the moment.

Ashtanga is a good example. The “rules” of Ashtanga say that you do the series for 90 minutes a day first thing in the morning, six days a week. That just doesn’t work for me right now. So instead, I aim for the six days, but my practice is anywhere from 15 minutes to 45 minutes. I trust that my body and mind will adapt to where I will be devoting more time to my practice.

I’m also experimenting with Ayurveda, both in terms of food and also lifestyle. Today I went to a workshop with Julianne Englander at Yoga Barre in Shakopee and learned some great details about Ayurveda. Julianne talked about the morning routine, which if you did everything would probably take about an hour. I know that’s not anything I’m going to do right now. I’m going to start small, like getting up and scraping my tongue and washing my face — getting “clean” before heading to my mat. Julianne also said this is like a yoga practice — it develops over years.

Regarding my diet, there are just some things I’m not ready to give up yet. These include:

Coffee

Chocolate

An occasional social alcoholic drink with friends

If you want to succeed in a diet or exercise routine or other lifestyle change, you have to make it work for YOU. Find something that sounds doable and that you’ll enjoy, but ADAPT from there. Remember, a small change is better than nothing. See how that small change goes and if you feel good, add more changes. Because the second you dislike something you for sure will stop doing it.

How have you adapted a diet or exercise program or lifestyle change to make it work for YOU?

Like with anything, you’ll discover if you like it or dislike it only after you have tried it.

Did your mom or dad ever say to you about broccoli or Brussel sprouts or anything like that — “Just eat one bite, then you’ll know if you like it or not.” I bet they did! Or if you’re a parent, do you say this to your kids?

I’m offering a nine-week Ashtanga class at SunMoon Yoga Studios Jan. 17-March 14. I’m asking Ashtanga newbies to give it a try for the nine weeks. I don’t expect that at the end of the session, everyone will be an Ashtanga devotee. I fully expect some people will say, “This is not for me.” I love Ashtanga, but I don’t expect everyone else will love it, too. It’s challenging and structured and routine. That doesn’t appeal to everyone.

But all I ask is that if you’re curious, give it a try.

That goes for anything in this new year. What is your intuition telling you to do? Just try something new. You don’t have to commit to it — just try it.